Polycom
Latest
Plantronics rebrands as Poly to get its groove back
Plantronics was close to being acquired by Logitech last year, but unfortunately that deal fell through. Now Plantronics, best known for being one of the first companies to make Bluetooth headsets, is trying to craft a new image. Together with Polycom, the teleconferencing outfit it snapped up a year ago, they're rebranding as Poly -- a punchier name meant to show they're not stuck in the past.
Look who's talking: The birth of the video phone
The videophone was always the obvious next step in the evolution of the telephone. It's a concept that has spent decades in development. And when it finally arrived, it looked a bit different than had always been imagined. Follow along, as we explore the bumpy road that led to those FaceTime and Google Hangout sessions you enjoy on your device of choice today.
Logitech gambled big on video conferencing, lost
Logitech's PR machine is on the loose this morning, trying to dampen expectations before the company announces its quarterly financial results later in the day. The key message is that we shouldn't expect any great shakes from the video conferencing side of the business. In fact, there'll be a $211 million charge against earnings, which is big enough to wipe out the previous quarter's income four times over, and which stems entirely from this source of pain: "The enterprise video conferencing industry has experienced a slowdown in recent quarters and consequently, through this period, the video conferencing unit has not sustained the growth Logitech originally anticipated." That's a blanket statement, describing a whole section of the industry and not just pinning the blame on LifeSize, the video conferencing company that Logitech picked up in 2009 for $405 million. It so happens that Polycom and Cisco have also reported ongoing slides in video conferencing sales, so Logitech's explanation is entirely justified -- not that it makes the LifeSize acquisition look any smarter.
Polycom bringing 1080p to telepresence product line
Polycom's been on the HD video conferencing bandwagon for quite some time now, but it's looking to make your droopy eyes and unkempt hair show up better than ever by bringing 1080p to its telepresence portfolio. Starting now, support for 1080p / 720p at 60 frames-per-second will be available on new Polycom RealPresence Experience and Telepresence Experience wares, with "qualified" owners of the existing RMX 2000 and HDX products being able to upgrade their systems in due time (we're hearing Q1 2009). Also announced today is the December-bound Polycom HDX 8006, which includes an EagleEye 1080p camera, remote and microphone array for a stiff $17,449. Time to upgrade that corporate connection, don't you think?
Polycom intros HDX 7000 HD video conferencing solutions
Although Polycom just got around to shipping its HDX 4000 / 8000 HD video conferencing systems last month, you won't catch this firm resting on its laurels -- oh no. Instead, it's pushing out an entirely new series in its HD video portfolio, the HDX 7000. This one, which caters to small and medium-sized conference rooms, features 22kHz StereoSurround for "natural voice clarity," Lost Packet Recovery (LPR) technology, 720p video support, a 16:9 EagleEye HD camera and the ability to adjust bandwidth for content. You'll also find an RS-232 control port along with DVI, USB 2.0 and a number of audio inputs and outputs. Supposedly, to-be owners can expect the HDX 7002 to land in March for $9,499, while the HDX 7001 (SD version) lures in the bargain hunters at $7,999.
Polycom ships HDX 4000 / 8000 HD video conferencing systems
Remember that snazzy HD video conferencing system that Polycom introduced back in July? That very system is finally shipping alongside its beefed up sibling, the HDX 8000. Each of the "video collaboration solutions" enables users to see distanced colleagues in high-definition, and both flavors come with HDX Version 2.0 software that features Lost Packet Recovery (LPR) technology. Apparently, the 4000 series is geared towards executive desktops, offices and small meeting areas, while the 8000 lineup fits best in conference rooms, class rooms and large meeting areas. Nothing like blowing a little (if you consider $9,999 to $13,999 to be "little") of that extra revenue on jazzing up the office, right?
Polycom's HDX 4000 HD video conferencing system
We weren't exactly enthralled with Polycom's other all-in-one video conferencing machine, but a lot can change in three years. The newly revamped iteration, dubbed the HDX 4000, claims to be the "first executive desktop video system with HD voice, video, and content sharing." Designed to play nice with most standards-based, IP video conferencing systems, this unit sports a 20-inch widescreen display, built-in HD camera with pan-tilt-zoom capability, dual HDX microphones, speakers and subwoofer, an HDX video conferencing codec, and a stand with an integrated keypad that "allows users to dial or answer video calls just like a telephone." Depending on bandwidth, this system enables you to watch and send 720p content at 30fps (or 480p if you snag the HDX 4001), and while you aren't likely to justify this purchase for your home, $7,999 isn't a whole lot to ask when sprucing up the corporate boardroom.[Image courtesy of TechFest]
Microsoft unveils unified communications platform
Microsoft has just announced a series of new products and upgrades to existing software which together will form a platform that promises to deliver unprecedented convergence among disparate communications technologies. Part of the "Office system 2007 wave of products," this combination of hardware and software will allow users to perform such tasks as checking their voicemail directly from Outlook or calling up an Exchange Server to have it email other participants of an impending meeting that they're going to be late. The move also sees Redmond making an even bigger push into Internet telephony in the form of the Office Communications Server 2007 package, which is a SIP-based platform that will allow seamless VoIP calling, videoconferencing, and instant messaging across a broad range of existing applications, services and devices, including the all-in-one Office Communicator 2007 -- available in desktop, web-based, and mobile flavors -- which just so happens to support voice, video, and chat as well. Finally, we'll see remote conferencing get a boost in the form of enhanced A/V capabilities and Office integration for Live Meeting, along with a new tool called RoundTable that employs a 360-degree camera for letting group web-conference participants view the entire remote team simultaneously. On the hardware side of things, Microsoft has partnered with HP and Motorola to provide support for the new platform, with HP delivering systems integration services and unspecified "enhanced products" and Moto throwing down compatible mobile devices and network equipment. While new versions of Exchange Server and Speech Server are on their way by the end of the year, the majority of the platform -- including IP desktop phones from Polycom, LG-Nortel, and Thomson to support the Office Communicator phone experience -- is not scheduled to roll out until sometime during Q2 of next year.[Via The New York Times]
